Heroes
by a-dream-within-a-dream
Summary: Very AU. Based on a music video about the heroes who have died in Angel and their own TV series. Cordy's the Slayer, Wesley's the Watcher, Fred and Doyle are the half demons. Fuller summary inside
1. Default Chapter

The inspiration from this came from a music video I found, which was called 'Heroes' a 'spin off' series dedicated to the people that had died over the years in Angel.

Summary: Wesley, an esteemed Watcher, is sent to the suburbs of L.A to find the newly discovered Slayer, Cordelia Chase (who was activated when Buffy drowned instead of Kendra just pretend it happened in Season 2 rather than 1. The Council Seers didn't find her until three years afterwards), a senior who lives with her widowed wealthy father. At first she is determined to refuse her calling, being a rich daddy's girl has major benefits. Until one night, she returns home to find her father murdered, by vampires who know of her identity. After burning down the gym in an attempt to avenge her father's death, the Watcher's Council fire Wesley for not being able to control his Slayer. Cordelia's broke, Wesley's broke, and there's only one solution; form a paranormal detective agency in the heart of LA. They are swiftly joined by Doyle, and then Fred; two half-demons with their own stories to tell.

Everything in Buffy is the same, minus Cordelia, if you want imagine someone else as the rich bitch who Xander dates, except she goes off to college after Sunnydale and isn't mentioned again. Angel follows a different route, the main cast being Angel, Faith (who is a Potential Slayer, not the Slayer as Cordelia has taken that role), Gunn and Lorne. Angel leaves after Season 3 Buffy and goes to LA where he meets Faith, a Potential Slayer, who runs a teen shelter and who the Powers grant the visions to. Gunn joins their team at some point, and later Lorne. Also Conner is born as the Darla obsession does still happen but takes place in season 1, this makes Angel only four years long in total. After season 4, where Faith plays the part of evil Cordelia, they take over Wolfram and Hart, a year earlier.

If anyone is confused please leave a review or email me and I'll answer your questions.

My story begins where Cordelia and Wesley first form their agency, which in the Buffyverse is at the same time as Season 5 begins.

* * *

'Wesley, bring that box over here, now!'

'Oh I'm sorry Cordelia, I didn't realise I was expected to carry five boxes at the same time whilst you read Vogue!'

Cordelia Chase looked up into the face of her sarcastic Watcher, Wesley and rolled her eyes.

'Fine, fine I'll help.' She got off her stool and went over to take one of the cardboard boxes off the Brit's hands. Ungracefully, she dropped it down onto the counter and looked around their new office. It was small, very small, on the first floor of an apartment building, next to a dentist. There was one desk and they were in the process of unpacking the laptop, one of the few expensive things Cordelia had managed to snatch from her possessions before the IRS took it away following the death of her father. Cordelia instantly felt the tears welling up in the corners of her eyes at the thought of her father and quickly brushed them away. It had been over a month since she'd come home late to find her father's body sprawled in the hallway with several sets of bite marks, alongside a note saying 'Come out and play pretty Slayer.'

Wesley noticed his Slayer's actions and hesitantly placed a hand on her shoulder.

'It'll be ok.' She turned to face him and instantly she was Queen C, rich bitch extraordinaire.

'You'd better hope so buddy because this was all your stupid idea in the first place!

'I never would have needed this idea if you hadn't burnt down the gym and gotten me fired from the Watcher's Council!'

Her fist shot out and caught him straight in the jaw. Wesley wryly noted that they needed to work on her technique, certainly more than her strength. She looked on the verge of hysterics.

'I didn't want this, I didn't want to be a Slayer!' She clutched at the cross necklace he had given her and ripped it off her neck. 'You just show up and screw up my entire life! Now I'm broke, barely finished high school, have no chance of ever having a career or a life and am stuck here with you in this dingy little room being paid to kill things!'

'Actually strictly speaking, you haven't been paid yet.' She raised a warning eyebrow at him and he sighed. 'All right look, this isn't what either of us wanted, but we have to do something. You have a calling Cordelia, but lucky enough Buffy Summers is keeping the Hellmouth under control and all major apocalypses at bay, so we can charge for you to help people.'

'Why can't they help themselves?' She mumbled moodily, forcefully grabbing a box and beginning to unpack its contents. Wesley also began to unpack a box containing his volumes on demonology, occasionally shooting glances at the young girl opposite.

They had built up some sort of tolerance of each other, which he supposed was better than the seething hate that followed their first meeting. Frankly, he wished that he had never been assigned to Cordelia; his career would have stayed intact and his reputation unblemished. But the snooty Hollywood wannabe before him had ruined everything. He tolerated her one, because they both needed each other's skills now and two, because he could mildly excuse her some things due to the horrific tragedy that had befallen her father. She was only a child, after all, who now had to be an adult. He did pity her, even though he still wanted to wring her neck. She caught him looking at her and shot him a bone-chilling glare.

'Take a picture already, it'll last longer.' He ground his teeth together; this was not going to be easy.


	2. Chapter 2

_Imzadi: Thanks for your review, I also like the idea of Linsdey (good) and Kate getting involved. I'll see what I can do._

That evening Wesley suggested that Cordelia sweep a quick patrol of the neighborhood whilst he got their office sorted into something resembling order. Reluctantly and rudely she agreed.

'Hello,' she called down a deserted alley way as she walked, swinging a stake from her hand. 'Any evil dead things looking for a snack?' Silence. 'No?' With a smirk she promptly dropped the stake with a clatter onto the floor. 'I tried Wesley.' She headed quickly in the direction of the LA strip and the nightlife.

After ordering a martini, Cordelia sat deep in thought at the bar delicately ignoring some perverts in the corner who were eyeing her up.

'How about a drink?' Came an unfamiliar, Irish voice behind her.

'Already got one thanks,' she said without bothering to look at him. Unfortunately, he decided to sit right down next to her on a stool. She looked at him in mild irritation and the corner of his mouth twitched.

'Good thing then because I wasn't going to get you one.' He let out a chuckle at the Princess's expression and her mouth hanging open.

'Ha ha,' she recovered. 'Like I would have accepted anything from you anyways, not with that fashion sense.' He raised an incredulous eyebrow; his dark hair messy, green eyes bright, and his jacket and shirt horribly garish.

'My my the Powers really know how to pick 'em.' Cordelia frowned.

'Pick what?' He stole the olive from her drink and answered while chewing.

'Y'know Slayers.' Within a second she had dragged him off the stool and into a secluded dark corner. He put his hand over his heart.

'But alas I must protest my virtue, we've just met.' He was answered by being shoved painfully against the wall his head making a weird clunking sound.

'Ow!'

'How did you know who I was?' She paused, 'And who the hell are you?'

'Name's Doyle,' he replied. She leaned forward and sniffed him. She let go and he brushed off his coat.

'You don't smell human.' It was his turn to look irritated.

'Well that's a bit rude. As it happens, I'm very much human,' he sneezed and slipped into a demon face, green covered with blue spikes before his face returned to human visage, 'On my mother's side.' She glared at him.

'Give me one good reason for not killing you.'

'I've been sent, by the Powers That Be,' he said to her surprise.

'The who?'

'Let me tell you a little bedtime story,' he said as he sat down on a nearby sofa. She gave him a disbelieving look but allowed him to continue. 'Once upon a time there was a girl. She was a happy girl, very rich and a looker, but mean. Really mean, so mean that she picked on other people and made fun of them. Frankly she was a bit of a bitch.' She shot him a glare.

'Oh, ok sleepy now.' He didn't look fazed and carried on, a gentle lilt to his voice.

'Yeah it sounds a bit dull doesn't it? But wait, then one day this uptight British man shows up and tells our little heroine that she's got a destiny, to do good, fight evil and help people. And surprise, surprise she doesn't want to know, she likes shopping and money. Then her daddy is brutally murdered by vampires.' He stood up as she shied away.

'Ok you can stop there buddy,' her voice wavered but he was going to finish his story, his eyes never leaving her face.

'So the Princess snaps, torches the vampires and gets kicked out of school, along with her Watcher who's fired from the Council and even though they can't stand each other they decide to form a paranormal detective agency.'

'Right,' she said weakly. 'You've succeeding in telling me my life story Oprah which by the way I already knew seeing as I was there. Now tell me why I'm not kicking your butt?'

'Cause now I'm going to tell you what happens next. Our heroine isn't really playing the part; she misses her life, and doesn't really understand her duty or want to accept it. So she's cutting herself off from life, slowly but surely and the people who she's trying to save.' Cordelia's eyes blazed.

'Boo freakin' hoo! I didn't ask to be a Slayer, so what I do with the rest of my now scarily short life is up to me, and I still save them so what's the big if I don't stop to chat?' He looked at her for a long time.

'Lets go for a walk.'

Outside he carried on with his story or lecture as she was beginning to call it as they walked side by side down the LA strip.

'It's not at about fighting and killing. It's about reaching out to people and showing them that there's still love and hope in this world.' A homeless woman approached hand outstretched,

'Spare change?'

'Get a job you lazy sow,' said Doyle turning back to Cordelia without missing a beat. 'You know it's about letting them into your heart. It's not just saving lives, its saving souls too. Hey even maybe your own.'

'My soul's just fine thank you very much,' she said haughtily,

'Ah now it is but for how long?' He contradicted. 'You're grieving, and the only person left in your life you can't stand. So it's only a matter of time if you keep shutting people out until you become battle-hard, weary, unfeeling.'

'Who sent you?' She demanded and to her annoyance and confusion she shrugged.

'I'm honestly not sure who sent me. You know, they don't speak to me direct. I get visions. Which is to say great splitting migraines that come with pictures. A name, a face. I don't know who sends them. I just know whoever sends them is more powerful than me or you, and they're just trying to make things right. Some other girl's got them in this city, and she's using it to help a vampire champion, I'm here to help you.'

'Why me?'

'Because Princess, you've got potential, and the balance sheet isn't exactly in your favour.' She glowered at his cryptic statement,

'Ok then why you?'

'We've all got something to atone for,' was all he replied with a faraway look on his face. He snapped out of it and shot her a wide grin. 'Now I'm going to let you do the Budda on that.'

'What? Who?'

'Lord, you really are a rich bitch Princess aren't you?' He exclaimed in disbelief, and sighed at her blank look. 'Meditate on what I've told you. I know where you and your Watcher are, let's just say I'll be seeing you around.' With a jolly wave he sauntered off until she lost sight of him in the crowd.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey, sorry I took so long to update, I've been on holiday. And I promise an apperance from either Lysnday or Kate in the next chapter. Ohh and i found the video that this fic is based on at http/ then search under author erin giles, when all is said and done.

'He was a demon Wesley, that's all the proof I need.'

Wesley let out a measured sign, his hands clenched on the desk, fighting for control of his temper. It was the day following Cordelia's unexpected meeting with an informant demon calling himself Doyle, and claiming to be working for higher beings named the Powers. Yet, Wesley was too busy trying to convince Cordelia not to go hunting him down with a crossbow to research it.

'As I've explained numerous times before, not all demons are harmful. This Doyle may be an asset in future cases.'

'But what if he's lying?' She demanded with stark logic. 'I mean what if this is all some ploy to get at me? It could all be about me; me, me, me!'

'Then you'd be correct, although I can't imagine that will ever happen,' Wesley replied with a smirk.

'Hey give the girl a break man,' both Slayer and Watcher whirled around to find the object of their conversation leaning casually against the doorframe of their office door. Cordelia in unison cocked an eyebrow and a crossbow,

'Speak of the green and spiky devil,' to her irritation he smiled widely and she noticed how infuriatingly good-looking he was.

'You would be Doyle, I presume from Cordelia's rather childish and violent reaction?' Asked Wesley evenly ignoring Cordelia's cry of outrage.

'Yep, and you'd be Wesley Whydom-Price, former member of the Watcher's Council, England. The former part due to princess over here,' Doyle replied stepping into the room and jerking his thumb in Cordelia's direction.

'Hey,' she cried with a stamp of her foot. 'Has anyone actually noticed who's holding the crossbow here?'

Both men ignored her; Doyle was already reiterating part of what he had said to her the previous night, notably leaving out all the Oprah junk about letting people into her heart before she became hard and effectively lost her soul blah blah blah.

'So the Powers have sent you to offer us assistance?' Deduced Wesley and Doyle nodded.

'Even if you're trying to cash in you're still trying to help people, and that makes you good guys. So I'm here to help.' With a flourish Doyle produced a piece of paper that Wesley read and then handed it to Cordelia.

'Had a vision this morning. When the blinding pain stopped I wrote this down.' Wesley took it without asking questions and read the information.

'West Street, number 32, penthouse suite.'

Doyle sat down and leant forward, speaking in a very conversational tone.

'Yeah, nice apartment by the way, seems to have been decorated in that boho chic look.' Cordelia had had enough. She hoisted him roughly up by his lapels.

'And what the hell does this have to do with us?' He shook her off and adjusted his coat.

'Because, princess, the woman who owns that apartment would happily pay you to rid her of a certain, irregular problem, that really presents a problem in the acting world.' Her eyes narrowed, slightly from jealously. Cordelia had always wanted to be an actress, but obviously that was out of the question now.

'And what would that be?'

'A vampire stalker.'

'I still don't understand why he had to come along,' grumbled Cordelia from the backseat of Wesley's convertible. 'And why he got shotgun.'

'Called it first your highness,' Doyle said grinning at her over his shoulder.

'What are you anyways some badly dressed superhero?' She snipped. Wesley sighed and veered the car sharply to the left before righting it. Cordelia, who hadn't been wearing her seatbelt and had been thrown unceremoniously to the side, glared at him.

'Hey watch it with the getaway car driving Wesley!'

'Only if you two stop bickering like children,' he replied. Both Doyle and Cordelia began to sulk, but not before she muttered 'he started it' under her breath.

'How am I meant to approach her anyway?' Asked Cordelia suddenly after a five-minute silence, which Wesley had found quite peaceful. 'I can't just go up to a girl and say hi, do you happen to have a pesky undead stalker that needs killing, oh and I charge by the hour?' Doyle once again swiveled in his seat to look at her and stifled a smirk. She was exaggerating wildly with her hands, her thick dark hair blowing in the breeze, eyes bright. Yep, definitely a hottie. She caught him looking.

'Answer, hello!'

But what a bitch.

'You're supposed to get into her life, remember what I told you about mixing with people? Get involved. Look, High School's over, girl. Erupted in flames straight from the gym crash mats. You gotta make with the grown up talk now.' He recovered.

'Get into a soap star's life and ask about a stalker?' She looked to her watcher. 'Wesley help!' He looked at her through the rear view mirror.

'Well we need to devise a plan of action that much is certain, but I'm unsure as to what. Personally Cordelia as you are now a Slayer I feel it's doubly important to show initiative and drive. We can't just dally about...' Wesley's attention was suddenly directed at a passing florist. 'Look a florists that sells Nancy's Petticoat. Oh. They're quite rare. Named for Nancy Mitford, the author. Because of her love for...' he noticed the disbelieving stares coming from both Cordelia and Doyle 'Right. A plan.' Cordelia rolled her eyes.

'How did I get lumbered with you exactly?'

'Exactly how he got lumbered with you,' said Doyle, quite enjoying himself.

'Shut up,' they replied in unison. Wesley was thoughtful.

'The indirect approach is probably better in this situation.'

'Hi,' said Cordelia brightly into the actress's intercom. 'My name's Cordelia Chase and I run a paranormal detective agency, are you in need of help, as in a creepy stalker that the police can't catch, because he's kinda, not human?' Wesley and Doyle shared looks of total exasperation.

There was a pause.

'Come on up.'

Cordelia turned to the men with a wide smirk.

'What was that about the indirect approach Wesley?'


End file.
